1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a display device with enhanced aesthetic appearance.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, since LCD devices are driven with a low operating voltage, LCD devices have low power consumption and are used as portable devices. Accordingly, the LCD devices are widely applied to various fields such as notebook computers, monitors, spacecrafts, airplanes, etc.
The LCD devices have been enlarged in size due to the decrease in weight and volume. In the LCD devices, moreover, research and development are being continuously done on a response time and image quality, leading to the much advance of quality.
Recently, research and development are being done on the above-described technology and the design of products appealing to consumers. For example, in LCD devices, research and development are being continuously done on a design with enhanced aesthetic appearance that can induce consumers to buy by minimizing a thickness and appealing to consumers' aesthetic appearance.
Hereinafter, a related art LCD device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically illustrating a related art LCD device.
As seen in FIG. 1, the related art LCD device includes a lower substrate 10, an upper substrate 20, a liquid crystal layer 30, and a driver 40.
The lower substrate 10 faces the upper substrate 20, and the liquid crystal layer 30 is formed between the lower substrate 10 and the upper substrate 20.
Various lines such as a gate line and a data line are formed on the lower substrate 10. To apply signals to the respective lines, one side periphery area of the lower substrate 10 is exposed externally.
The driver 40 is formed in the externally exposed one side periphery area of the lower substrate 10, and supplies respective signals to a plurality of lines.
The driver 40 includes a circuit film 41, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 42, and a driving chip 43. The circuit film 41 is adhered to the lower substrate 10 at one end of the circuit film 41, and the other end of the circuit film 41 is connected to the PCB 42. The PCB 42 applies various signals to the lower substrate 10 through the circuit film 41. For this end, a timing controller, various power source circuits, and a memory are mounted on the PCB 42. The driving chip 43 is formed on the circuit film 41 and drives a plurality of data lines and gate lines.
FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically illustrating a related art LCD device. FIG. 2A is a plan view schematically illustrating a related art lower substrate. FIG. 2B is a plan view schematically illustrating a related art upper substrate.
As described above, the driver 40 supplies respective signals to the gate lines and data lines of the LCD device. Accordingly, the driver 40 is disposed at the left or right periphery portion of the LCD device for supplying respective signals to the gate lines, and disposed at the upper or lower periphery portion of the LCD device for supplying respective signals to the data lines.
To reduce the product price and the weight, the Gate In Panel (GIP) type LCD device has been proposed. In the GIP LCD device, some circuits necessary for gate driver are formed directly on a lower substrate. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the GIP type LCD device.
As seen in FIG. 2A, the related art lower substrate 10 includes a display area that displays an image and a non-display area that cannot display an image.
In the display area, a plurality of gate lines 12 and data lines 11 are intersected and formed, thereby defining a plurality of pixels. A thin film transistor T as a switching element is formed in each of the pixels.
A plurality of elements for supplying signals to the display area are formed in the non-display area. Specifically, pads 13a and 13b, a signal line 14, a GIP circuit block 15, and a connection line 16 are formed in the non-display area.
The pads 13a and 13b are connected to the driver 40, and include a gate pad 13a and a data pad 13b. 
The gate pad 13a and the signal line 14 are formed as one body, the signal line 14 is connected to the GIP circuit block 15 through the connection line 16, and the GIP circuit block 15 is connected to the gate line 12.
The data pad 13b is connected to the data line 11.
As seen in FIG. 2B, the related art upper substrate 20 includes a display area that displays an image and a non-display area that cannot display an image.
Red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters 22 are formed in the display area. The color filters 22 are divided by a black matrix 24.
The black matrix 24 is formed in the non-display area, thereby preventing the leakage of light.
In the related art LCD device, since the GIP circuit block 15 and the signal line 14 are complicatedly formed in the non-display area of the lower substrate 10, the size of the non-display area increases inevitably, and thus, the size of the peripheral portion of the LCD device, namely, the size of the Bezel increases.
To provide a more detailed description, a method of decreasing the GIP circuit block 15 area and a method of decreasing the signal line 14 area can be considered for reducing the size of the non-display area of the lower substrate 10. However; a gate driver Integrated Circuit (IC) and a plurality of transistors for performing a portion of a gate PCB function are disposed in the GIP circuit block 15 area, and thus, it is actually difficult to reduce the GIP circuit block 15 area. Also, the decrease in the width of the signal line 14 is required for reducing the signal line 14 area, but when decreasing the width of the signal line 14, the resistance of the signal line 14 increases.
As a result, the related art LCD device has limitations in reducing the size of the Bezel that is the peripheral portion thereof.